The first time Gianna Girardi saw images of herself on the 8,369 square-foot scoreboard at Coors Field, she was … what’s the right word? How about flabbergasted?
It was the Rockies’ home opener for the 2025 season when she made her debut as an in-game host at Coors. Gianna didn’t see her giant self in real time because she was too busy being on camera and interviewing fans. Later that day, she reviewed her performance on videos sent by her family and friends.
“I was in a little bit of shock,” the 24-year-old Coloradan recalled. “I thought, ‘Wow, this is crazy!’ It’s still a little bit of an out-of-body experience. I still can’t believe this is my job. I’m loving every minute of it.”
Given her personality and background, the job is a natural fit. Still, the graduate of Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins and the University of Colorado-Boulder views her job as a stepping stone to other sports media jobs, including a role as a sideline reporter.
“To get this job at 23 was crazy for me, but I know that in sports media, you work your way up the ladder,” she said. “Being a sideline reporter for a major network would be really cool.”
If the name Girardi sounds familiar to longtime Rockies fans, it should. Gianna is the niece of Joe Girardi, the catcher on Colorado’s inaugural team in 1993 and the man behind the plate for the Rockies’ first playoff team in 1995.
“This job, and being in sports, just fits her personality,” said Joe Girardi, who now works as a TV analyst for “She’s got a fun, outgoing personality. She smiles a lot. She loves sports, and she was a really good soccer player. She understands competition.
“This is her passion. Good for her. I’ve found that in life it’s really important to find your passion, because then, work doesn’t seem like work.”
Gianna is modeling her career on who made a name for herself as an NBA reporter. Jbara also contributes to TNT’s coverage of the NHL, MLB postseason, NCAA football, golf, and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Lauren’s job seems super fun,” Gianna said. “She’s not just tied to one sport, and I’m a sports-lover, in general. She’s worked the World Cup, and I would love that because I’m a big soccer girl. I like to be part of the action, so I think sideline reporting is more up my alley, rather than hosting a show.”
Gianna’s dad, Dr. George Girardi, who works at the UCHealth Pain Management Clinic in Fort Collins, was instrumental in fostering his daughter’s love of sports. He played college baseball at the University of Dallas, a D-I program at the time.
“My dad also coached my brother, Nick’s, Little League teams, and my brother also played for the USA Triple-A team, so we went to tournaments in Italy and all over,” Gianna recalled. “I was dragged to all of Nick’s games growing up. And we went to Rockies games all the time.
“But, because of my ties to my Uncle Joe, I became a Yankees fan as well. We went to New York every summer.”
Joe’s 15-year playing career — he won three World Series titles in the Bronx — ended in 2003, so Gianna was too young to see him play. But she was old enough to watch him during his 10-year stint as manager of the Yankees. Joe managed the Yankees to a World Series title in 2009.
“I would actually sit in on my uncle’s postgame press conferences any time we were there for games,” she said. “I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. I was 7 when he got the job and 17 when he was done with the Yankees, so that was a huge part of my childhood.”
Those days and nights in the Big Apple spurred her interest in sports broadcasting and led to college internships at Altitude Sports as a production assistant for Nuggets and Avalanche games. At CU, she earned a degree in strategic communication with an emphasis in PR and advertising and a minor in sports media.
“After I graduated from CU in 2024, I wanted to get involved in sports, but it’s obviously not the most linear path in the world; it can be tough,” she said. “So I moved to Los Angeles and worked at an interior design company. I loved the job, and I loved living in L.A., but deep down I knew I wasn’t supposed to be doing that. I knew my passion lay elsewhere.”
Colorado’s roster of homegrown women sports broadcasters is deep and talented. It includes Jenny Cavnar, Alanna Rizzo, Taylor McGregor, Romi Bean and .
But it was Denver native Lauren Gardner who had the biggest influence on Girardi.
Gianna’s uncle helped her secure an internship at MLB Network, where she connected with Gardner.
“It was such an amazing experience, and I learned so much,” Gianna said. “I had amazing mentors like Lauren, who was actually an in-game host for the Rockies at one point. That’s pretty cool, now that I’m in that role.
“And (former major league player) Harold Reynolds completely took me under his wing at MLB Network, which was awesome. And we still chat on the phone quite often. He checks in all the time. He’s probably the biggest mentor I have ever had.”
Her uncle hoped he internship at MLB Network would solidify Gianna’s career path. It did.
“I wanted her to follow her passion and help her find exactly what she wanted to do,” Joe said. “At MLB Network, she didn’t get to do what she’s doing now, but she got to work in sports and see how a network is run behind the scenes. I wanted her to get a taste of it and see if this is something she really wanted to do. I think she found her career calling. Now she has an opportunity, and she’s running with it. I think she’s done really well.”
Gianna’s day-to-day with the Rockies includes script meetings, interacting with fans for in-game promotions and contests, and preparing for the pre-game presentation, which is shown on the giant scoreboard roughly 40 minutes before the first pitch.
“Ultimately, I see my job as adding to the experience of the fans,” she said. “People are there at Coors, obviously, to watch a Rockies baseball game. But the whole point of being at Coors is to be entertained and enjoy yourself when you are there.
“In between the innings, I add to the entertainment and hopefully bring a little bit of joy to the fans. But there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that people don’t see. Our crew does an amazing job.”
Gianna’s bubbly personality — “I’m a glass-half-full kind of person,” she said — is a big asset for her current job. Her work ethic, eagerness to learn and passion for sports will take her to the next level.
At least that’s what her Uncle Joe believes.
“She is going to get there,” he said. “I absolutely believe she is going to get there.”
